Do the Lions need to press the Panic Button?

No. A snowball has a better chance in Hell than the Lions do pressing the Panic Button. With Matthew Stafford and Glover Quin leading this team on either side of the football, they shouldn’t need to even come close to that button for 3 or more years to come. I could genuinely stop here, but why not convince you even more?

Jim Bob Cooter. One of the best names in football has also become a popular one in the football world since taking over as the Lions’ offensive coordinator. While he makes many, many questionable play calls, Matthew Stafford excels in his offense. While some of that may stem from the fact that Calvin Johnson retired and Stafford doesn’t have to force feed anyone the ball, there is no denying that he’s a better quarterback when playing in a spread-type offense. Having worked with Peyton Manning before coming to Detroit, Cooter knows what he is doing in the sense that he can give pointers to Stafford that not many others can. The two have built a strong and trusting relationship that, hopefully, will only get stronger. With Cooter as the Lions’ OC, there is no telling what heights this Lions team can reach.

Teryl Austin is another reason for the Lions success. The Lions have had one of the better defenses in the NFL since Austin took over as the team’s Defensive Coordinator before the 2014 season and he’s been a head coaching candidate every season after that. Austin is a defensive back wizard, and has helped Darius Slay develop into one of football’s best young corners, as well as helping Glover Quin become an everyday player and a phenomenal safety. The future is bright for the Lions defense as well, with second year players Miles Killebrew and Antwione Williams looking to step into bigger roles, as well as rookies Jarrad Davis, Teez Tabor, and potentially Jalen Reeves-Maybin looking like they can be big contributors.

And finally, Jim Caldwell. I know, I know, I talk about players for all of the Panic Buttons, then hit you with the Lions’ three main coaches. No matter, a lot of the players are succeeding because of their coaches soooo. You can’t expect me to leave them hanging, can you? Caldwell has also helped contribute to Stafford’s rise into the Near-Elite quarterback club. Caldwell helped Stafford become a quarterback that spreads the football around, rather than force it to his main target. And I know, there’s a lot of Lions fans that hate Caldwell with a passion, but I’m not sure why. Sure, he’s had some clock management woes, but what coach hasn’t? He’s a good coach, and a players’ coach. Leading the team to the playoffs in 2 of his 3 years as head coach, there’s really no telling where he can bring this team.

This offseason, Detroit had a youth movement on the defensive side of the ball. And with Stafford having another year under his belt, and another year with Jim Bob Cooter, this offense has a very high ceiling. Teryl Austin will certainly help the Lions defense get back to that point they were at in 2014, being one of the best units in football, but with so many young contributors, I’m not sure it’ll be easy to do in the 2017 season. If GM Bob Quinn even has the Panic Button in his office, I think someone should take it away right now. There’s no reason this team should even think about it at this point in time.